Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-28
A BILL TO INJURE LABOR.

BILL TO INJURE LABOR.
The stamp and label bill has passed and
goes to the Governor. In the interest of
labor it is to be hoped he will decline to
approve it. The bill has but one excuse,
the disclosure under its operation of the
identity of Chinese manufactures. But It's
Objectionable features are so many and
great, as to wholly counterbalance this,
and make it bill full of danger to labor
interests. To compel all manufacturers to
stamp or label their goods, and all who
sell them to expose the stamp or label, is
to handicap manufacturing, cut short the
opportunities to secure employment and
thus directly visit i'll upon the laboring
class. A sweeping objection to the bill is
the inconvenience to which it will subject
all manufacturers, since it makes and
can make no exceptions. 1t requires
every maker of "any articles manufactured
partly or wholly within the State, to stamp
the same with the names Of the persons or
corporations who made or partly made
them, and with the number of the build
ing, if on street, and the name of the
street or road. And when the articles can
not be so stamped, the package or cover
must be stamped or labeled" In the case of
small Gamers, obedience 10 the law will shut
up more than half, if not all of them. The
large Gamers will be absolutely estopped
from purchasing the goods of small and
one-line Gamers, and thus host Of small
industries will be deprived of their best
customers, and in consequence must cease
to manufacture Such result will be felt
Immediately by small fruit-growers, who
supply the small Gamer, and cannot as
well, if at all, reach the large Gamers. Our
export is mainly to large dealers, who will
not take mixed brands. They must have
full lines, and will not deal with small and
one-line packers of fruit or fish, even were
such manufacturers always able to reach
them and maintain commercial standing
for their brands. These observations apply
with especial force to Gamers and
packers of prunes, Iaisins, dried fruits,
and salmon. Ninety per cent. Of all
the fish and fruit canned in California goes
to answer demands outside of this State,
and in markets where the Identification
sought to be established will be of no prac-
teal benefit whatever 10 the manufactur-
ers. The packer of limited means gets his
product into the outside markets by not
labelling, thus enabling the larger manu-
facturers to take their goods as fast as put
up, to fill the commercial demand for full
lines The small dealer is thereby supplied
by rapid sales with means to carry on his
industry. If required to label his goods,
he must needs stand alone upon the mar
ket and compete with the heavier dealers,
with whom only the market world will
deal. To do this he must be backed by
capital sufficient to pack throughout the
season. and to carry stock over. This is
not possible to the great majority, and they
would, therefore, be reduced by the opera
ton of the bill, and the raiserS of fruit
would be driven to seek distant and less
advantageous places of sale for their prod
ucts. The large Gamer or dealer buys for
his full lines whenever he can procure the
goods. He grades them according to quail
ity, completes his varieties and thus re-
spends to the Eastern demand. But with
the small manufacturers label ON the
goods he neither would nor could do this,
for the reason that the Eastern market
will not submit to it, 1t demands uni
formity in brands, for it is the guarantee
of excellence However viewed, the ten
dency of the bill under consideration is TO
reduce the consumption of California
products abroad; that in turn will lessen
the demand for labor in actual packing,
marrow the manufacture of cans and jars
to carry the products, lessen the ability of
small growers, reduce the margin of profit
able fruit-growing, and so affect at once
and iniuriously several distinct and large
representative classes of labor, and operate
to no small extent in depreciating the
value of fruit lands, since it is always d.
termiped by the productiyeness and the
best market for the product More
over, the tendency of the bill
will be to concentrate the packing,
canning and curing business in the hands
of few large firms and corporations,
backed by much capital, and consumers
will therefore suffer by reason of the me-
uspolization of the business. Instead of
being bill in the interest OF labor, and
" to protect manufacturing industries" it
should be entitled bill TO crush small
manufacturing, cripple growing, mo-
nopolize the canning bus ness, and handi-
cap the California export of preserved
fruits and fish, There are ether objec
tions to the measure, for it will work hard
ships upon other industries than those
named; but its effect upon them is alone
sufficient to challenge its wisdom and call
for its condemnation.